Now I might not be so alone
by A Dragon Guarded Heart
Summary: Pitch is defeated by the Guardians and he feels entirely alone in the world but a girl comes alone and tries to help, but she only makes him angrier. And a new threat is rising up. one that can drain the world of any emotion...including fear. (only rated high for violence later and some suggested adult themes but no explicit lemons)
1. Heart over mind

Every part of me was telling me to stay where I was, but at the same time every part of me was telling me to save him. It was the classic heart versus brain internal argument. But I looked at him again. He was so scared, so alone, defeated without anyone to come to his aid, except me. I hope this doesn't come around and bite me in the ass...

**I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of the Rise of the Guardians characters. I do own Ashley and Neo though i hope you enjoy! Please Read and Review!**


	2. First impressions are always tricky

As the screams only grew louder cupid took flight to try and save the one known as Pitch from being dragged down into his lair by his nightmares, while the Guardians just stood there and watched.

"No!, No!, No!, No!, I can't be tortured like this again!", Pitch screamed while clawing at the ground. Cupid swooped down and grabbed his hand before he could be bound to being alone, and afraid in the dark again. Pitchs' eyes snapped up still so full of fear and hopelessness. It struck her right to the core. There's no way she could have just abandoned him.

"I've got you!, just hang on!" Pitch was very confused but he held on to her hands because it was the only lifeline he had left. Cupid pulled and willed her wings to move faster to drag them out of the swirling nightmare mass. A final tug and he was free. She shot up into the air still holding on to the nightmare king by his hands. "Ugh, I can't fly like this. Hey! Pitch listen I have to let go of you for a split second but it's just so I can get a better hold on you. I will catch you. You've got to trust me". She looked into his eyes and every part of them was screaming no, but she let go. He immediately started screaming but it only took her a second to hook her arms under his shoulders and around his torso. She bolted again and started flying forward as fast as she could. "Concentrate", she knitted her eyebrows' together in strain and focus, "come on, come on …now!" a pink swirling portal appeared about ten feet away from them. She felt Pitch tense up. "Hang on I'm getting us out of here" she flew them both into the portal and were gone in a flash.

They slammed into the snow. She let go of him and they were both tumbling on the ground. Cupid going a bit farther than him because she angled their landing so she would take most of the force of the landing. They both were sprawled out on the ground the only thing sound being heard was heavy breathing.

"The nightmares, they're going to drag me back down. No, no it just can't happen again" Pitch ran the treason of his minions through his head again and again, until he realized something. It was freezing. And there was snow absolutely everywhere.

"What?" he puzzled, "How did I get here? Where is here? Wait. There was someone there. Someone grabbed me, but who was it?" His thoughts were interrupted when someone started coughing. He looked up and there was a girl, not too far away from him actually. She looked young, he guessed around 16. She was wearing some type of corset with red ribbon laced around hearts on the front, similar to how you would lace up a hiking shoe or something. She also had white knee high boots with the same lace pattern as her corset. A very interesting get up but what stood out the most were the wings that stuck out of her back. They were pink, and the wings, they weren't feathered or anything but instead they, they, well the only thing that could come to mind was...a dragon. "what is this girl?" he thought.

"ugh that portal took everything out of me...and that landing didn't help either…" she said to herself trying to lift her face out of the snow and turn over to sit cross legged. "How about you are you ok?" she asked him

"what?" pitch said as he looked up and started to come out of his daydreaming, and his eyes zeroed in on something. the ice. the black and blue ice that he created when he and Frost… he was in Antarctica"

"I said are you o-"

"Why did you bring me here!? Pitch screamed

"Because I thought no one would think to follow us here, it was the first place I could think of"

"Lies!" he screamed again. She tensed up and curled in on herself slightly, she was starting to get scared by him. "You brought here me to remind me of my failure, my weakness, when I offered Jack Frost a life where he would never be lonely or afraid again and he shoved it right back in my face like he would rather die than have any company of mine!" she was cringing at his voice, both from intensity and the emotion behind it. "You Guardians are all the same" his voice lowered to a low snarl, "and I have had enough of you for one day" He swept himself around and walked into the nearest shadows and vanished, leaving her behind.

Tears were welling up in her eyes and she had her hands clenched into fists fighting them back with all her might. Never before had she been yelled at so fiercely. Wait, yes she had, a long time ago but thinking of it made the pain still feel fresh. But the other time the anger was plain and simple but, this time it was different, with Pitch she could sense so many underlying emotions. There was anger of course but she felt betrayal, sadness, and loneliness…

"I'm sorry…I-I didn't know" she said to the empty air. She turned around and started to walk off, it was going to be a long flight home, the portal used up a lot of her power and she was starting to feel depressed as well.

"Funny" she thought "I wasn't at fault that other time either" she chuckled to the ground " I wonder when I'll start getting things right.

**Disclaimer! i do not own rise of the guardians or any of its characters (but if i did, i sooooooo know what i would make the second movie like) but i do own Ashley and Neo (you'll know who he is later ) R&R! ^~^**


	3. I need to work on my people skills

Cupids POV

I had a very nice sleep. Clouds are always so comfy. I live up in the clouds so everything is made of clouds but I can decide how solid or translucent I want things. Like I keep my cloud floor solid so I can walk on it and my bed and dresser too, but I usually just like too walk through the wall to get to my room. It's a great way to keep my whereabouts hidden but sometimes I forget to alter it, I'll try to walk through it and I slam into a soft looking light pink wall, I'm pretty clumsy. I like my space, so I even have my own cloud guard dragon. His name is Excalibur and he isn't pink, he's the soft bluish purple of a light oncoming rainstorm, he stops anyone that tries to get in, and judging by the young male voice now yelling my name he caught an intruder.

With an exasperated sigh I got out of bed and light blue pajama shorts with white hearts and aquamarine frilly tank top and all I threw open the doors to outside my room. (I created the doors a second ago just for the effect, I love dramatic theatrics). Jack looked up from trying keeping my dragons paw from crushing his chest and smiled, even though he was still pinned on the ground and his staff was in Excalibur's mouth, he didn't have a chance.

"Hey! Ashley! Just the person I wanted to see" Ashley was my real name, I preferred to use it so I would never forget my human past.

"What do you want?"

"I can't just come say hi?"

"Not this early"

"It's 10am"

"So? You know as much as I do Jack that it's still early. We may not need sleep but when either of us do sleep we burn plenty of daylight"

"Alright ya got me" Jack chuckled "yes I'm here for a reason but I'm not going to tell you till you call off your guard dog"

Excalibur growled inching closer to Jacks' face

"Fine. Excalibur stand down" he looked at me and snorted unhappily but he lifted his paw of Jacks chest and dropped his staff into his lap. "Thank you" I told the dragon. I got another snort in return and he turned around and slinked back to his bed.

"Thanks" Jack said as stood up and wiped the fuzz from his hoodie. "When are you going to tell him that it's okay to let me in?"

"When I'm confident that you won't come in and freeze my wings together in the middle of the night."

"Aw come on that was one time! And it was hilarious" Jack giggled and smiled at me. I could never stay mad at him for long, at anyone really. I'm just so used to putting on a strong face when I'm really not at all.

"After I got them thawed out yes it was funny but that doesn't mean I want it happening again. Now why are you here again? You did say there was a reason."

"Oh, yea…" he looked down at the ground "the Guardians want to see you" so the truth finally comes out. "And I'm supposed to escort you" he threw in just barley looking me in the eye.

"Fine" I said with an exasperated sigh. "Jack?"

He looked up "yea?"

"If the guardians ever do anything to hurt you or Sandy I will destroy them." My eyes narrowed. Jacks eyes widened. "I will know whether you tell me or not." My glare faded away. "And if you're ever in trouble crush this in your hand" I took his hand and placed it inside. It was a heart. No bigger than his palm and red as the purest rose. "Promise me you will use it in your time of need"

Jack closed his hand around the heart "I will"

"Awesome. Ok gimme a sec" I threw my hand up in the air and pink energy swirled around me tighter and tighter until it burst and I was back in my normal outfit.

"I. Hate. When you do that" Jack glared.

"Why?" I teased.

"Cause it feels like you're changing in front of me"

"Aww little Jack can't handle a little skin?"

"What!?" he shrieked starting to blush "that's gross and perverted and hey I'm older and taller than you!"

"By 220 years and a half inch, but you aren't faster than me" I smirked and bolted out of the clouds.

"Hey! You had a head start!" was all I heard before jetted full speed towards the North Pole with an icy wind nipping at my heels.

(Slight time skip)

"Vat Vere you thinking!" I cringed at the verbal beating that I was receiving from the Guardians. It was mostly from North but Bunny and Tooth jumped in from time to time. I never really liked the Guardians very much, except for Sandy and Jack. Sandy was the only person that was there for me when I first woke up, when the Man in the Moon revived me. The rest of the Guardians couldn't care less as long as I wasn't getting in their way. I trusted Sandy more than anyone; he was one of the only people I've ever met that didn't yell at me for being me. I only met Jack recently, when all the nightmares were popping up and he was hanging out with the Guardians. I would have said no too, if they asked me. I don't like the idea of giving up my solitude.

"Ashley you stopped Pitch from being imprisoned. Do you realize vat you have done" the disappointment in North's voice hit me like a slap to the face.

"Ashley by preventing Pitch from being locked in his lair you have let him try to take over again. He will spread darkness and nightmares and we will lose believers again. Do you realize what you have done?" Tooth's motherly tone always set me on edge. She was not my mother and not her or anyone else was allowed to act like it.

"Eh it's okay mates. With that Pitch being weakened like he is it will be no problem to kick his sorry hide and shove him back underground where he belongs". That's it.

"You would really fight someone that is on a lower playing field! You would take advantage of someone's weakened state where your victory would be assured! Even if it was a temporary state I would never fight an uneven battle. That's what separates you guys from me. I don't fight uneven battles. I don't prey on the weak. I protect everyone, not just children". My eyes narrowed and my voice lowered to a threatening growl, "And I certainly don't stand by and bathe in the screams of others as they get dragged down a hole".

Everyone was just standing there gawking at me, then Bunny's shock turned into rage

"Hey now! Oh Shelia you just crossed-"

I swept the air in front of me with my hand. "Save it!" I snapped. Bunny stopped his advance towards me. I brought my hand down to my side and balled it into a fist trying to fight back all my anger. My blood was absolutely boiling.

I let my hand relax and I breathed out a sigh. "If there's nothing else than I'll be on my way." I turned around and started walking to the window. I passed a stunned Jack and Sandy. "Thanks for not yelling at me too. I'm sorry; I hope I didn't hurt you. See ya later". I had to just keep walking if I stayed any longer I would probably just make things wor-. Oh no. I flew out of the nearest window as fast as I could.


	4. I just can't win

"no! no! no!" I was screaming the word in my head. "I can't let them see me like this". I was starting to cry. No one is allowed to see me cry. Crying is a sign of weakness, it lets people figure out ways to destroy you. Whether its blackmail, pin pointing anxieties, or see what something really means to you. Crying makes it so much easier for someone to see what makes you tick. It's like giving them permission to kick you while you're down. I'm not the type to back down, I will always fight. So I will never let anyone see me cry, to protect myself, and more importantly the ones I love.

"I've got to find somewhere to hide until I can get myself under control" I saw a small cave coming up fast to my right. "it will do" I breathed. No one except maybe Bunny can match my keen senses. When I first learned how to use my magic I used a spell to heighten all of my senses, no being on Earth can match my sense of smell, hearing, etc. but Bunny isn't from this world and we're about matched. But it's snowing and cold so he's at a disadvantage, he won't be able to locate me I'm safe.

I landed at the mouth of the cave. I didn't smell anyone or anything, but just to be safe; I drew my bow and fired an arrow into the cave. It probably smashed against the wall cause the cave lit up pink for a couple seconds then faded. No one was there.

I leaned against a wall and slunk to the ground. I don't take people yelling at me very well. If they're yelling at someone else it's pretty easy, I just kick their teeth in. But, when they yell at me there is nothing I can do, I'm defenseless. So with Pitch yelling at me and then the Guardians too, I was feeling like no one really wanted me around, and I knew that feeling all too well. I just wanted to cry. Just get everything out of me. It was going to feel good but I never got the chance. Something was wrong. I had no idea what but I felt in my gut that it was bad.

"So much for some peace" I mentally complained. I glanced around the corner to the outside of the cave, it was clear. I hit the skies, but I wasn't really sure where I was going. But even with the swirling white snow and the nipping cold, the feeling was so clear. It was pulling me, like that nagging feeling that you forgot something it was leading me somewhere.

As the temperature increased so did my anxiety. It was still cold but not as harsh and I recognized everything. The oncoming smells of frozen ponds, untouched forest, a few burning logs in a small village, and really old wood. I was coming up on Burgess. This feeling was leading me to the forest, to Pitch's lair. I landed behind a tree, I know it wasn't much protection but I just wanted a place where I could look at it.

The old tale of the bogeyman hiding under the bed. I'd never been to Pitch's lair before but everything in me told me he was here. The nagging feeling was starting to eat at me. It was just one feeling. Get closer. Come on a little more. "I'm going to get an anxiety attack from this crap" I groaned. So I took a step to clear the tree and one more to get closer to the bed frame. An anxiety attack would have been better than this.

You can't fight smoke, so I couldn't do anything while it surrounded me ant stole my air. All I could hear was someone manically laughing before my world faded to black.

**I'm really sorry these are so short my chapters will be longer after this one, sorry but I just looove suspense and cliff hangers**


	5. meeting the enemy

I was slowly coming out of it. I wasn't sore, nothing hurt, nothing broken. As my eyesight cleared up I did a look over on myself, I adrenaline had kicked I wouldn't feel anything if I had been injured. Everything looked good, till, I saw the ground. It wasn't ground. It was metal. I looked up there were bars. I was in a cage. Panic started to seep in a little, but only a little, I don't freak out. I immediately stood up only to fall back down. The cage was hanging; it was unstable, I fell down hard and loud. My hip connected with the metal floor of the cage and the sound of the contact and my pain echoed through wherever I was.

"Wait, where was I"? I thought. I, carefully, got back up. I used the bars to steady myself and to get the weight off of my newly bruised hip. It looked like I was in a cave, a really big one. There were hundreds of more cages around me. It wasn't dark but something about the faint light made the shadows all the more ominous and menacing.

"Hello my dear" voice purred into my ear. I screamed and whipped around only to lose my balance and fall again.

"You are very clumsy for all the training I assume you've had" the voice said. My eyes were closed tight from all the pain of falling again.

"And you're a lot younger than I expected" I didn't recognize his voice; I've never met the man before.

"But I really thought you would have put up more of a fight" I wanted to slap the smirk I knew he had right of his face. I blinked through the pain and looked up. The smirk was there but I had no idea who it belonged to. The man before me had white skin, not pure but off white, like snow that has been left out on the side walk for a while. He wore a completely black suit, but from like centuries ago. He had a black long sleeve that was slightly puffy like old English royalty world wear with a white ascot tucked in to the top of his shirt. His pants were black as that were tucked into lace up army boots. He looked like he could host a fancy party and command and army later. He had somewhat messy grey hair that came down to right above his shoulders. And his eyes were hard to look at; they were bright red with violet irises.

"Where am I and who are you?" I snapped.

"Shouldn't a lady be a bit more polite"

"bwahahahahaha! Dude I don't know what you've heard about me but I am so not a polite little lady". I actually had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. The man looked bewildered then that stupid smirk came back.

"mmm, well I suppose I should tell you the name of your future master." Grr oh now he was gonna get it. No one controls me.

"My name, is Neo. And we are in my new lair, that Nightmare king mat be pathetic but he does have good taste."

"Wait we're in Pitch's lair?" Neo's eyes blazed red and his hand shot through the bars and his hand constricted around my neck with his nails threatening to break skin. He pulled me close to his face so I had to look him in the eye.

"This is MY lair!" his yell bounced off of the walls and I was cringing both from volume and my constricting airway. "Mine! Not that weak little disgrace for an embodiment of darkness. Hah when I barged in here he couldn't even put up any of a fight! I've taken out fear and I will destroy love soon as well. And then I'll drain the rest of the emotion out of the world, and those idiotic humans won't feel anything and they won't be able to stand against my rule!" He threw me against the opposite side of the cage, and threw his head back in evil laughter. I stifled my urge to start coughing and just rubbed my neck with one hand; I won't let him get a victory from causing me pain. He glanced at me and disappeared, continuing to laugh until he left the lair.

"That bastard" I snarled under my breath. Oh man he's gonna pay. But he wasn't kidding about the little part with Pitch. Pitch was tall but Neo was a couple inches taller, yikes I only came to Pitch's chest, only a little less than Jack did. Wait a minute. I was too busy being thrown around and chocked to notice, I smelled Pitch. His smell was everywhere already, the dark scent of the shadows through the forest on a clear midnight, completely enticing but absolutely dangerous and forbidden. It was everywhere but it was concentrated…I whipped around and about 20 feet away from me the Nightmare King sat in a hanging cage. It broke my heart. He looked absolutely hopeless. He was leaning his back against the bars of his cage with one hand draped over his one raised knee, and he looked so sullen eyes half open just staring at the floor of his cage. He looked like a cat that had been in a cage in a shelter most of his life and just when he got out he was picked back up and shoved back in another cage, and he realized he probably wouldn't get out again. He didn't look hurt too bad, only a little roughed up, like a quick fight.

"Pitch? You ok?" I was trying to hide the uncertainty in my voice but I didn't work to well.

He didn't even look up.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" I raised my voice but I still had a kind tone.

Pitch moved his eye to glare at me, but that was it, and it quickly faded. I was getting nowhere with him. Well I guess it's as good a time as ever to try and escape.

I walked around and examined the cage. I stomped at the floor and kicked at the bars, nothing. No cracks, no weak points, nothing, not even a keyhole! All I saw was Pitch sneak another sneer towards me.

I sank down to the floor with a sigh. "Hey Pitch you made these things do they have any weak points?" he still didn't do anything. "Ugh!" I flopped down on my belly like a princess throws herself on her bed when things aren't going their way. "I'm going to go crazy if I keep trying to talk to something that can talk back but won't talk back cause I already talk to myself and things that can't talk back and don't talk back enough as it is" I was trying to lighten the mood but pitch just wouldn't budge.

"You are very amusing" it was Neo.

"Yay, Neo was back, great", I thought entirely sarcastically. I got up and looked down from the bars. He was standing in the middle of the room looking up at me, smirking.

"Those theatrics weren't meant for you!" I yelled down at him.

His smile disappeared "well then I don't know who it would be for, I'm the only one here worth talking to". I don't care when people insult me but when they insult others I'll beat them to a pulp. This guy really knew how to get my blood boiling.

"Huh, funny I always thought spineless posers like you weren't worth talking to" I deadpanned. That got him mad. Neo immediately summoned a cloud of smoke and headed up to me. He reached in to grab me again but I seized his arms and pulled him closer so I could slingshot my feet into his gut and he went spiraling backwards. I surprised him pretty well, but he surprised me too. Smoke shot up from the ground of my cage and binded my legs together and my hand behind my back. He took a fistful of my hair and brought me close to him again. The pain was searing as he pulled harder and said "do not think I can't break you" he smirked again and bashed my head against the bars, and I fell to the ground and started to fade into black again.


	6. New and old pain

**the song she sings is angel with a shotgun by the cab, they own the song and all rights to it. if you haven't heard it check it out it's really good!**

When I woke up again the first thing I registered was that my head really hurt. "What happened?" I thought. Oh yea Neo knocked me out. Nothing really changed while I was out, still in a cage, still in pitch's lair, still-"

"You're going to get yourself killed" Ahh, finally! There's the accent that I know and missed.

"So you're talking to me now?" I rolled onto my stomach with my feet above me and my head on my hands sporting a smile.

Pitch snorted and glared the other way.

I sat up cross-legged and acquired a more sincere tone. "Hey, hey I'm sorry ok." He looked back at me again. "I was just afraid you weren't going to talk to me ever again"

"And why is that pray tell?" I didn't want to lie but I didn't want to tell him about how hopeless he looked or he would just shut me out again. i pushed down the lump in my throat and summoned up my courage. Here goes nothing.

"I-I didn't know about Antarctica" He raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "I didn't know something had happened there between you and Jack. I train a lot in Antarctica and I've never seen anyone there, so I honestly thought that was the best place to get away from…everything. I'm sorry that I took you there".

"Just drop it" he growled.

"Ok, sorry"

"Why are you even trying to escape? The Guardians will be here soon looking to rescue you." He looked back at the ground. His expression was half disgust and half hopelessness.

"I don't think they will be looking for me" while my eyes sunk to the floor his widened and snapped up.

"What?" he breathed.

"I don't know where people get all their false information about me but I'm not buddy buddy with the Guardians. I like Sandy and Jack but the rest of them not really. When Neo captured me I was on my way here from the North Pole, I stormed out after countering their verbal beating with my own. The last thing I told them was that I was different from them, because I don't bathe in the screams of others."

I glanced at Pitch from the corner of my eye. He had a look of hurt on his face, almost sympathy.

"It sounds like they deserved it" I kept staring at the ground.

"No, not Jack and Sandy, they didn't yell or get mad at me or argue with me. They stood off to the side. They didn't get involved. Which is good because that would just get them yelled at too."

"But they didn't stand up for you" he cocked his head to the side trying to understand.

"Yea well I don't blame them. When the odds are stay safe and stay out of it or join one person and get beaten with them, it's smarter to stay out of it. Jack and Sandy are smart like that, but I'm not." I looked up and smiled at him. He still had a look of confusion on his face, but his expression softened and he turned back to stare forward.

**No Pov**

Two days had passed. Pitch and Ashley engaged in minimal small talk, he didn't really care for pointless talk but she liked it so he participated. Neo came in and out of the lair and currently he was mulling over plans for taking over some continent. Pitch was resting his head against the bars with his eyes closed.

"_I'm an angel with a shotgun…"_

Pitch and Neo looked up, Ashley was singing.

"_Angel with a shotgun_"

"Why is she singing?" Pitch thought. It was very faint and she was just staring down at her cage, the lyrics barely audible from her whisper. She sang like it was just her there, like her life was playing out in the small space in front of her. Pitch was in awe. He had never heard a voice so perfect, and he couldn't look away.

"_Get out your guns, battles' begun, are you a saint or a sinner?"_

"_If loves a fight than I shall die, with my heart of a trigger"_

"_They say before you start a war, you better know what you're fighting for"_

"_Well baby you are all that I adore, if love is what you need, then a solider I will be"_

"_I'm an angel with a shotgun, fighting till the wars won, I don't care if heaven won't take me back"_

"_I'll throw away my faith babe just to keep you safe, don't you know you're everything I have?"_

"_And I, wanna live not just survive, tonight…" _she let out as sigh as she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her knees that she brought to her chest.

Pitch was still staring at her, deep in the spell she didn't know she could cast, till Neo's voice abrupt voice snapped him out of it.

"I if you think an uplifting little song can empower you to break out of your cage and defeat the most powerful being in the universe then you might not be as smart as I expected either."

Pitch looked from Neo to Ashley, and he became scared out of his mind. Ashley's' eyes snapped up and they had fire inside of them. Her nose was wrinkled in anger and her canine teeth were gritted in a snarl. She stood up from her cage and looked down at Neo.

"Do you honestly think you can claim that title!?" she howled. Neo and Pitch's eyes widened one in fury and one in fear.

"You are the most pathetic excuse for a grab at power that I have ever seen! You flaunt yourself as powerful when the truth is that you had to wait until someone else weakened Pitch to defeat and capture him and you even waited till I was off my game and you knocked me out with magic and threw me in a cage so I couldn't fight you! And I know you didn't think I could tell but you put a spell on our cages so that it drains our power to a minimum so that we wouldn't notice and so that we couldn't break out. Your power and cunning disappoint me, I expected far better." Ashley was breathing heavy from yelling. She was looking at Neo with her best "bring it on" narrowed eyes and sharp-toothed smile. Pitch risked a glance at Neo, he was just standing there, arms at his sides and face towards the ground. Something wasn't right.

Everything happened at once.

Neo threw his hands into the air and smoke spiraled around him following his commands. The smoke reared up and shot towards Ashley. She dodged the first tendril but was too late for the second one and it wrapped around her foot. A space on Ashley's cage opened up and she was yanked through it. The tendril slammed her back against a wall and she gasped in pain. She was then slammed against the ground on her stomach and thrown up into the air. She reared her wings about to gain control of the air and have a chance to strike back but more tendrils of smoke surrounded her. And before she could move a tendril shot behind her and sliced open her back in between her wings. She screamed out in pain as blood started to run down her back. Then the rest of the tendrils took action. She was thrown back and forth as she received cuts from every angle on just about every part of her body. Her boots were so shredded that they fell off into the abyss of the lair, and her legs received more cuts at the now uncovered space. After giving her two more cuts that went from her shoulder blades up to her shoulders and down to her chest the tendrils stopped. To weak from the pain and blood loss she started to fall to the ground. The smoke all condensed together to form a giant clawed hand that grabbed her before she could hit the floor. The finger tightened around her causing her to grimace and more blood to spill from her body. The hand brought her close to Neo and she opened one eye to glare at him when he cupped her chin with his hand.

"Now my dear was that any way to talk to your master" he purred.

"I have no master", she choked out, "and if I did it would never be the likes of you" she smirked.

"Ragh!" Neo yelled and tightened his hand around her chin, earning another gasp of pain from her."I will teach you to respect me you little worthless girl. He swung his hand back and the smoke hand mimicked his movements, then he swung his hand forward and Ashley was thrown back into her cage. Neo threw his head back and let out a long evil laugh while he brought his hands up and pointed all of his fingers at Ashley, then hundreds of smoke ravens flew from his fingertips.

Pitch only saw Ashley get to look up from the floor in fear before her cage was surrounded by a swirling mass of the black birds. Neo turned around and exited the lair, his laugh still echoing through the walls. Pitch looked back at Ashley, his eyes full of fear. He didn't hear anything coming from Ashley's cage. All he heard was the wind that the tornado of birds was stirring up.

"Ashley!?" he yelled.

Nothing

"Ashley!?"

Nothing

"ASHLEY ANSWER ME!" Pitch screamed.

Again nothing.

He fell back against the bars of his cage gasping for air. He reached up and dug his nails into his hair.

"No. she can't be gone. She just can't be" he thought. Wait. Why did here care? He barely knew the girl. But in that short time she had already saved his life, protected him from the Guardians, and all she seemed to be doing here was try and keep him out of harm's way.

"But why" Pitch asked himself.

Pitch looked up. The wind was starting to drop in intensity. The mass of birds was starting to dissipate, with the ravens flying off in all directions to dissipate into the walls. Pitch could finally see Ashley, he almost wished he couldn't.

She was curled up in a corner of her cage with her knees to her chest and her face buried in her chest with her hands over her ears. She had so many cuts, she was covered in so much blood, and she looked broken, in more ways than one.

"Ashley?" Pitch tried. She didn't move.

"Ashley Answer me" Pitch tried again a little louder this time. She still didn't move.

"Ashley look at me!" Pitch yelled, his eyes and voice full of anger. Her hands started to ease off of her ears and she lifted he head up hesitantly till she could look at Pitch. If Pitch had a heart it would have broke, but he still felt his soul crack a little. Ashley was crying. She was having an entirely silent breakdown that hurt his black soul to look at.

"Ashley…are you alright?" Pitch asked. She gave him a silent nod and averted her eyes to the side.

Pitch wasn't done yet. "What did those things do to you?" Ashley curled in of herself slightly and shook her head, closing her eyes tight and keeping her face to the side.

"Answer me" she glanced at Pitch his tone was demanding but not unkind.

"T-They they showed me…everything…everything that is…and was…wrong with me…" she averted her eyes again and a fresh stream of tears flowed from her eyes.

"That's impossible", her head snapped back to him, "there's nothing wrong with you, try again"

"Then, they showed me all of the pain I thought I got over and sealed away…"

"I've heard…it helps if you talk to someone" Pitch tried to show an encouraging smile, "I've got nothing else to do".

Ashley looked down at the floor. Pitch sunk down a little, he thought that would have helped… but his attention was focused back on Ashley as she let out a sigh.

"I don't like telling people about my human life, but if you want to know I'll tell you" Pitch was about to argue that that wasn't his reason but he keep his mouth shut and got comfortable.

Ashley let out another sigh then began. "When I was young and human I wasn't really the best at fitting in. at school I was made fun of and I didn't have any friends, but when I got home my dad was always there to cheer me up". Pitch felt his insides crack a little bit more at the word dad but he didn't interrupt. "My parents didn't know that I was made fun of at school, they just thought I was too shy, which I was. I'm still pretty shy now though too. But my parents began to fight and one night…one night my dad left. It was in the middle of a dark and rainy night; my dad loaded up his truck and was about to leave when he looked up at the window to my room. I was watching him. He saw me and smiled, then he got in his truck and left. I started crying and screaming for him to come back. My mother burst into my room her eyes full of tears as well, but hers were angry tears. She grabbed me and slapped me across my cheek and told me to pull myself together. After that I completely closed myself off from the world. School stayed the same with everyone hating me and my mother just kept bringing new men for me to be forced to politely tolerate." She paused and caught her breath then continued.

"When I turned sixteen I wanted to go to Prom. I wanted to show everyone that made fun of me how beautiful I could be. My mother didn't even care that I left. After a while I was asked to dance by one of the most handsome boys in school. After dancing he asked me to meet him behind the school at a cliff that was illuminated by the moon and was overlooking the sea. He went the short way out the back and I went the long way around front. I was trying to compose myself and keep cool when I was confronted by a group of girls. They told me not to go near the boy because their friend, one of the most popular girls in school, wanted him. They said if I went and talked to him that I would pay. By the time they left my blood was boiling and I wanted nothing more than to defy them. But on my way there I heard crying. I looked around a tree and saw the girl that wanted the boy to fall in love with her. She was crying because he picked me and not her. I had a choice to make. So I faked his voice and called her name leading her to the cliff where he was waiting. I hid in the trees near the cliff while I watched their hearts connect. I had just connected soul mates. Was so happy, I stepped back to turnaround and head home but my foot slipped. And I fell, to my death."

"So that's how you were turned into a spirit" Pitch realized.

"Yes, the Man in the Moon revived me. I woke up in a dark forest. I was all alone and I had no memory. I didn't know it at the time but I walked a short distance to where I had died. It was the party. I looked at two people on a cliff something spark inside of me and a bow and arrow appeared in my hand. I told me to fire at them, and when I did their heart connected they were indeed soul mates. But I soon figured out that no one could see me, so I ran. And Sandy found me and took me to the guardians. They wanted to keep my power in check, but after Toothania restored my memories I stayed away from them. Then just like you and Jack I was all alone."

Ashley was done. She looked up at Pitch. He had a straight unreadable face

"Have you realized now that nothing is wrong with you?" Pitch asked.

"No", Ashley smirked. "But it did make me feel better. And now I'm going bust out of here"


	7. good and bad fear

**If some of you want to skip my lemon (it's not too bad it's an attempted rape) then skip when the page breaks and start again when you see the next break**

Ashley knew her cage like the back of her hand. She studied every crack, corner, and dent, but she never found anything she could break in her weakened state. But when she looked around this time there was a key hole on the side of it.

"Maybe something happened when Neo threw me in here again and the key hole didn't disappear" she thought, "but now that I found it how do I unlock it"?

"Hmm" she silently scanned the lair trying to think of a plan. Her eyes fell on Pitch; he had that broken hopeless look to him again.

"We need to get out of here, fast" she reasoned. She continued scanning the room, and she saw the stalactites that were hanging from the ceiling. She gasped, she had an idea.

She backed herself up to the back of the cage; she reared up her wings and slammed against the front of the cage. The cage lurched forward and then swung back again. Ashley then flew to the front of the cage and slammed into the back of the cage.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Pitch drawled.

"That idiot Neo didn't tie up my wings so I'm going to use my wing power to move the cage like a pendulum and get it high enough so one of those stalactites embeds itself in my cages' lock and hopefully breaks it. "

"That's impossible! There is no way that you can get the cage to swing that high"

"I have to try" and she slammed into a side of the cage again. She went back and forth until the lock was about ten feet from the point of the stalactite. She let the cage swing all the way back and when swung forward she tensed every muscle in her body and shot into the bars, and made contact with the rock. She was thrown against the cage and some of the rock that got through the bars reopening some of the cuts on her arms and upper body. She fell to the floor of her cage in pain and waited till the cage stopped swinging. She nauseously got up with a hand over her mouth and a hand holding on to the bars for support. Once the world stopped spinning and she could stand on her own she check out the lock.

The lock was completely mangled; with a chunk of rock through its' middle and hanging on to the bars by about a centimeter of metal. Pitch was shocked to say the least. Ashley grabbed onto the bars above it and brought her legs up to give it one last kick. The sound of metal clanging and gusts of air reverberated through the lair. The door was open. Ashley was free.

"Yes! I did it! Alright" she pumped her fist and flew towards the ceiling. Pitch's look of shock turned into one of dismay. Pitch leaned his head against the bars of the cage and closed his eyes.

"She was free. He was on his own again".

"Ok Pitch stand back!" he looked up. Ashley was hovering near a broken stalactite with a pointed rock on her hand. She gilded down to Pitch's cage and fitted it in the lock to his cage. For some reason his always had one but hers didn't.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to break open your cage duh"

"Bu-but why?" Pitch was dumbfounded. Why would she choose to try and release him as well when she could escape now?

She looked up at him and cocked her head. "Do you honestly think I would just leave you here locked up"?

Pitch averted his eyes to the floor.

Her eyes filled with sadness in realization that, yes he did think he would be left behind. She reached through the bars and touched he finger tips to his right cheek. She wasn't used to physical contact with people and Pitch tensed up when he felt her finger tips on his skin, so she lightly lead his face so that he was looking at her again. She brought her hand back from the cage and a confident smile lit up her face.

"I never, ever leave anyone behind, no matter who or what the situation. And I've got your back Pitch, you can count on that" she crossed her arms and smile at him; her eyes were those of one who could not lie. Pitch felt a smile tug at his lips but he suppressed and pressed himself against the back of the cage as told. She flew to the wall opposite his cage and pressed her bare feet against the cool rock. She sprung off the wall and shot toward the cage like a rocket. At thirty feet away from it she curled into a flip and uncurled to kick at the lock with both feet. She made contact but something wrapped around her torso and she wasn't able to transfer all of her power to the rock to break the lock on the cage. Pitch watched in horror as she was wrenched down to collide heavily into the ground below.

Ashley was spluttering and coughing on the floor from the wind being knocked out of her so hard. The binding around her torso moved to her wings to tie them together. She propped herself up on her arms and tried to focus her blurry vision. The first thing she saw was a black pair of boots. She yelped and fell back onto her backside with her arms pushing up her torso. She stared up in fear at Neo who was only a few feet away from her.

"My, my, my, very naughty my dear, you've broken your cage" he looked down at her with a razor sharp smile that read predator.

Ashley scrambled up to her feet and into a fighting stance, with her eyes narrow as daggers and all of her weight on the foot behind her ready to throw a punch. Neo snickered.

"You know my dear in all of my travels and years I have never met a young woman quite like you" Neo put his hands behind his back and leaned his head toward Ashley a little. She didn't move.

"You are so different from all of the others" he took a step forward. Ashley took a step back.

"So reckless and untamed, well not for long anyway" he took another step forward. Ashley took another step back.

"What is that supposed to mean" by now she was getting a little unnerved and Neo kept coming closer. He was taking two steps forward for every one step she took back.

"It means that you will finally call me master" Ashley backed up into a pillar of stone, she looked behind her, she was trapped. She looked back at Neo and he was now inches away from her face. She swallowed a scream.

"By the time I'm done with you, you will be all but screaming my name" Neo purred. Pitch's eyes widened, he just realized what Neo meant.

Neo leaned in next to her ear and whispered "let the fun…begin"

(Ok warning! skip right here if you don't want to read this adult situation)

Neo threw his hand into the air and smoke wrapped around Ashleys' wrists and lifted them as far as they could go above her head and tied them to the pillar. She yanked at her wrists as hard as she could but it only made them cut into her skin more. She felt Neo place his hands on her hips and start rubbing circles above them with his thumbs. Her eyes filled with fear as she realized what he planned to do to her as well. Neo leaned into her neck and breathed in the smell of her skin through his nose and released his breath on her skin making her shudder. He moved his hand to trace the outline of her belly button and he whispered, "Your smell is so intoxicating, it's pure fear mixed with your sweet rainy breeze essence, it's delicious…" He nipped where her neck and shoulder met causing her to grunt in pain, she should've stifled it. Neo's desire intensified when he heard the noise get pulled out of his little toy. He pulled his head from the bite and started to advance towards her lips.

"Oh no you don't!" she thought. She pulled against her wrists. "You are not stealing my first kiss!" she pulled her legs in tight and kicked him square in the gut. The idiot was too focused on her to bind her legs.

Neo fell back and looked up at Ashley from the floor, his eyes full of fury. "You little runt!" he swiped his hand left and Ashley was yanked from the pillar to the ground where her wrists and ankles were bound to the floor. Neo stood up and walked over to her.

"Oh this is much better you look even more helpless" he smirked. He got on top of her and propped himself up on his hand that were near her head. He grabbed her chin roughly. She grimaced; she could already feel bruises forming"

"Fine, I'll take your lips later, but as punishment I'm not going to be as gentle with you anymore." He ripped part of her corset off exposing most of her midsection and giving her numerous scratches in the process. He crashed down on the side of her stomach and bit down hard. Her scream echoed through the caverns as he dug his razor teeth into her flesh. When he let go his smile was stained red with blood. Ashley breathed hard trying to fight off the pain. Neo reached up under her shirt and crushed her breast with his grip making her scream again.

"Oh my dear you're doing so well, but I think it's time for you to start really suffering" he slowly moved his hand from her breast down to her tutu.

Ashley's' pupils shrank and her eyes filled with fear and tears. "No!" she screamed in her head "No! This can't be happening!" Neo's hand moved a little farther and she felt him play with the hem of her underwear his other hand starting to slowly pull her tutu down.

"NO! PLEASE! STOP!" she looked at Neo with pleading eyes. He smirked. It was time to play. Tears filled her eyes, this was it. She lost. Neo turned his attention back to her tutu, and he was hit with a blast of Nightmare sand. Neo was thrown back into the wall several hundred feet away.

(ok! You Can continue reading if you skipped past the adult themed scene)

Ashley' restraints on her wrists and ankles exploded in a puff of smoke and she sat up immediately. She saw Neo embedded in a wall to her left then she looked in front of her. The Nightmare King, in all his threatening glory, stood in front of her facing Neo hand coming down to his side from being outstretched. He looked down at Ashley's still tear filled eyes.

"I know what you said was true; so if I know that you are with me then I will have your back as well."

Pitch outstretched his hand towards Ashley. She smiled up at him, and nodded her head once. She took his hand and got up. She knew what he said was true too.

Pitch turned his gaze back towards Neo who was trying to pull himself out of the wall he was lodged in.

"I have to say, I didn't think that you would sink so low" Pitch sneered. "To trap and take advantage of a young girl", Pitch shook his head, "I thought you were at least a gentleman"

Neo finally wrenched himself out of the wall and landed on the ground to straighten fully to his imposing height. "Gentleman?" he laughed. "Well you're not exactly chivalrous yourself oh King of Nightmares and spreader of fear"

"My Fear keeps people away from, things, like you" Pitch expressed his disgust with the word "thing".

Neo glared at Pitch then at Ashley. Pitch matched his glared with his own and Ashley grinned a devilish smile in return.

Neo smirked, "Aww how cute, the outcast couldn't fly with the heroes so she hid in the dirt to play with the devil. Tell me my dear does it hurt knowing that nobody wanted you on their team so in spite you turned around and joined their enemy? That you try and protect the one person that brought them harm? That you told them you never wanted to be like the heroes they are so you joined the darkness instead.

Ashley was trying to process everything Neo just said, while he turned his attention towards Pitch.

"Tell me have you thought about what will happen if you beat me?" Neo raised his eyebrow. "If you beat me the next immediate threat will be right next to her. Have you questioned why she is fighting with you? Wouldn't it be so easy to cozy up to the enemy and take him down when he is weakened and not expecting it? Wouldn't the defeated Nightmare King be a wonderful peace offering for the Guardians? They would forget her actions and they might even make her a Guardian as well.

Neo leaned back and watch as realization dawned on Pitch's face and he turned on Ashley.

"That's the only reason you're doing this isn't it?" Ashley was staring up at him terrified. "You just want to use me to get to the Guardians! That's the only reason you're here. That's why you were on your way here when you were captured! You were going to use me as a decoy for fire and wipe both enemies out at the same time." Pitch sneered. "That's your motive" Ashley was at a loss for words, she was so afraid that he wouldn't listen to what she would have to say. "ISN'T IT!?" Pitch roared. Pitch was so focused on Ashley he did see Neo charging at him, but she did.

Ashley launched herself into Pitch's chest sending him flying backwards and crashing to the ground, as Neo plunged a dagger through her side and up into her ribs. Ashley gasped. Pitch looked up from the floor and saw Neo rip the dagger out from her stomach. Pitch was awestruck. She saved him again. Neo smirked and landed a kick square in her gut and sent her flying to smash into a wall and fall to the floor. She barley looked up before Neo shot black at the ceiling above her and cause an avalanche of stone to fall upon her and crush her.

Pitch got up and just stared at the pile of rubble expecting some grand explosion of rock and debris as she broke out, but nothing happened. He was still frozen when Neo started to speak. "I hope you realize I was lying" Pitch snapped his gaze towards Neo. He was examining the crimson blade as he continued. "I could see the emotion inside of her. It was sickening really no ill intentions towards you, no lying to you, only pure selflessness and a will to protect. What was interesting was that her soul was stained black in multiple places; she has been through so much." Neo placed a hand over his chest. "But what really got me was that she didn't even think twice about taking that knife for you. It's sad that the last thing you did was yell at her." Neo grinned and swept his tongue across the blade waiting for his opponent to respond.

Pitch's mind was swimming but one thought was the loudest. "Kill Him". Pitch's head snapped up and his eyes turned a fiery gold. He summoned a scythe in his hands and glared at Neo. Neo summoned two swords and glared back. They raced towards each other and the fight was on. They parried each other's blows and fought tooth and nail to gain the upper hand. When Neo sent out raven Pitch summoned fearlings, and the two armies destroyed each other in second while their master clashed blows.

The two clashed with their weapons close to their faces, fighting to overpower each other.

"Why are you fighting so hard?" Neo played

"You killed her and I will have my revenge" Pitch snarled.

"I didn't kill her" Neo's voice lowered to a whisper, "you did". Neo made his weapons shine like fire and Pitch hissed at the sudden blinding light. Neo took this chance to topple Pitch and pin him with his foot crushing his chest. Pitch struggled to get Neo's weight off of him.

"Ha! Unlike you the light doesn't bother me", Neo brought his sword above his head, "any last words?" Pitch just grit his teeth and glared at Neo. Neo smiled and swung his sword. All Pitch saw and heard was a flash of pink and the frustrated yell of Neo accompanied by the snarl of a canine. With Neo's boot no longer on his chest he sat up. I front of him was a fairly large pink wolf. It would stand to above his waist if her were standing, and its entire body language read fight. Neo was getting up from the ground when the canine turned around to look at him. It locked its eyes with Pitch.

"I bet you didn't know I could shape shift did ya?" the wolf smiled.

Pitch took on a questioning look, "Ashley?" the wolf bowed its' head and glowed, then it's; image began to turn fuzzy and it grew in height and swirled till it disappear to reveal a very beat up Ashley.

"B-But how?" Pitch asked as she took his hand and helped him up.

"a dragons hide and scales are very protective in a rough situation" she smiled. Pitch smiled as well

"Why won't you just die!' Neo yelled. He rushed at her with swords drawn and she turned around and blocked them with her own.

"Cause I'm as stubborn as they come", she smirked. Pitch shot nightmare sand at Neo to knock him back as he joined the fight with his scythe.

Neo knew he couldn't fight them both he had to separate them. He jumped back and threw another round of ravens at Ashley. She jumped into the air and raced away from them while Pitch started another clash of weapons with Neo.

She could hear them; they were trying to haunt her with her past again. she listened to her mother tell her how worthless she was but Pitch's voice rang through her mind "that's impossible, there's nothing wrong with you". She smiled a devilish smile, she knew just how to lose these birds. There was a shadow on the wall, it was hardly noticeable, it was only a shade darker than the rest but it was a circle that just barley wavered its' shape on the wall. She looked towards Pitch. He was clashing metal with Neo's back to me. His eyes caught mine and glanced towards Neo's feet. I followed his gaze and I saw another circle. It was on a rock about ten feet to the right of Neo. Oh man this was going to have to be perfect.

She started picking up speed towards the wall.

She kept saying, "Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop", under her breath. She shot into the shadow and immediately pulled up so she didn't crash into Neo. In the skies her speed was unmatched along with her agility. The ravens couldn't make that maneuver so they bombarded Neo. His frustrated yells filled the cavern as he was temporarily trapped in a vortex of birds.

Pitch was swept of his feet by Ashley. She had her arms under his shoulders and was picking up speed. She knitted her eyebrows together to create one of her portals and they shot through it, Neo's frustrated yells echoing behind them.

Pitch slammed into the hard unforgiving ground again.

"Ugh", he moaned in pain "do you ever make a soft landing?" he sat up and looked at Ashley who was trying to prop herself up on her elbows.

"S-sorry…I-I'm…so….we-ak" she pushed out. "She was pale" Pitch thought, "no doubt all that blood loss, and then opening a portal to…to?" He looked around, "where are we anyway?" His observation was cut short when he heard a bloodcurdling scream. He whipped around. Neo was standing above Ashley with another bloodied dagger in his hand. "oh no" Pitch thought. Her right wing had a massive tear in it and her shoulder was cut open with blood draining from it.

"Did you honestly think that I would let you get away from me?" Neo asked sarcastically. He was covered in small cuts and bruises and had a crazed smile on his face. Ashley weakly looked behind her at him, and then she passed out. Neo brought the dagger back up to stab her through the heart but Pitch rushed to Ashley and caught both of his arms. Neo was fighting to get out of Pitch's grip and Pitch knew he couldn't hold him of like this for ever. He looked back at Ashley, then he drug himself and Neo through the shadows and into his lair.


	8. Trusting someone is hard

She woke up bruised and cut from head to toe, every inch of her littered with pain. Her wrists ached and she could feel her midsection covered in scabs and dried blood. She reached over to rub her wrists. Her finger tips hit cloth. She brought her wrists up to her face. They were wrapped in bandages. She looked herself over. All of her wounds were bandaged. Her arms, neck, legs, stomach, everything that got injured was covered in bandages. But she wasn't in the same clothes. She was wearing small blue pajama shorts and a small white tank top. Ok, now she was starting to freak out a little. Someone saw her naked. She looked around. The walls were red and brown with wood accents and outside the window was gleaming with white. And it reeked of animal hair and cookies.

"North!" she shrieked. A few seconds later she heard frantic heavy footsteps. She saw north try and stop but end up sliding past the door. Him and the rest of the guardians rushed into the room frantic looks on their faces.

"Vat? Vat? Are you alright!? " North asked frantically.

Ashley had a steeled irritated look on her face, "North, why am I in different clothes?". Her voice was dripping in venom.

"uh, your other ones were damaged" he said, confused.

"uhuh ok but", she paused. "WHEN THE HELL DID I EVER GIVE YOU ANY KIND OF PERMISION TO REMOVE ANY ARTICLE OF CLOTHING FROM MY BODY!?" her voice echoed through the workshop and her glare rendered them speechless. She sat there waiting for an answer.

North stuttered frantically "i-I didn't! I swear! I-"

"DON'T FUCKING LIE TO ME!"

North was so shaken he couldn't speak. Tooth jumped in "Ashley he didn't put those on you I did" her eyes moved to Toothania. "I put those on you and I bandaged you up. Not one saw anything but me".

She calmed down a little; "You swear?" venom still coated her voice.

"Yes"

"ok." She looked at all of the Guardians, "why am I here?"

Jack and Sandy stepped forward. "well", jack paused and rubbed the back of his neck. "after you left I wanted to make sure you were ok so I went to your home to check on you, but you weren't there. So I figured I would leave you alone for a little while so I waited a day. And when you still weren't there I went to go see Sandy and I asked him if he had seen you, but he said no. I was starting to get worried about you so I started searching for you but I didn't find you. So after a day of searching on my own I went back to your house, and Sandy was there, he said that you weren't there. We asked your dragon if you had come home and he said no. Sandy and I were really worried that something happened to you. So all day yesterday we searched the world for you."

Ashley fought back tears, "they were worried about me? They searched to world? I thought they would hate me" she thought.

"But while we were flying…" jack continued "we heard something. It sounded like an explosion. We raced towards where we thought we heard it and we saw what looked like black sand starting to dissipate and fade. It was just barely visible; if we were any later we would have missed it. But when we checked it out, we saw you. You were passed out on the ground with cuts all over you and…a giant tear in your wing."

The room was silent; you could have heard a pin drop. It was a stalemate of who would say what first. Ashley slowly looked over to her left wing it was completely normal, she looked over to her right wing. It was covered in white bandages, it was numb, she hadn't even realized. Her eyes widened, and she started to tear at the white covering her wing. She was stopped by a pair of fuzzy paws.

"Stop it Sheila! It hasn't healed yet!" Bunny yelled.

"I heal fast" she snapped still struggling against the Pooka.

"We all do! But you wing has not healed enough yet and if you rip the stitches apart there is a chance it won't heal right and you will never fly again". She stopped struggling.

"give it a day, then we can take them off but you can't fly for a few days either. You need to take it easy, understand?" she gave a defeated nod.

"Alright mate" Bunny let her go. Her mind was racing. She remembered pain, and then Neo had a knife, she passed out. She was a goner. What did jack say he saw? Black, sand…Pitch?...Pitch!

Her head snapped up, "Where is Pitch!?"

"Pitch? I don't know. Why?" Jack asked. "Was he there!? Did he do this to you!?"

"No! No! He was there. He was captured by Neo too". She brought her hands up to her head. She started to remember. "We escaped. He saved me. We fought Neo. I got us out of the lair. I was so weak. Then Neo surprised us." Then what?! I passed out and Jack and sandy found me. They found me…they saw black sand…he saved me.

She brought her hands down to her lap "he saved me" she mumbled.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Tooth asked frantically. "You were captured? Who saved you? Who's Neo?"

Ashley jumped out of the bed. "No time to explain! We need to get to Pitch's' lair! Fast!" she ran out of the room.

"Vait! You shouldn't be out of bed yet!" North hurried after her, the rest of the Guardians hot on his heels.

She threw up her hand and her magic had her back in her normal clothes again. All of the bandages were gone except the ones on her wing and the side of her stomach. Most of the cuts had already started to knit together and decrease in size.

North grabbed her arm; they were in the main room now. "You can't go now you have to stay and heal"

She whipped around and glared at him "If you trust me you will take me to the lair". Everyone stopped. North's eyebrows scrunched together, his eyes read hers. He released her arm.

"To the sleigh!" North hurried toward the launching pad. She gave a small smile.

"Are you waiting for a formal invitation? Let's go!" she yelled at the guardians and they all ran after North.

They busted into the sleigh room and jumped into the sleigh while North was barking orders. Bunny hesitated before being forcefully drug into the sleigh by Ashley. North hopped into the driver's seat and grabbed the reigns, "Are we ready?" he yelled.

"No!" Bunny responded.

"Let's go!" North cracked the reigns and they sped through the tunnel. After dizzying turns and loops they shot into the sky above the workshop. Jack and Sandy laughed while Bunny practically melted into his seat. The icy wind howled in their ears and tore at their faces. Ashley felt the wind tug at her wings. She could feel it push at the tear in her wing; she tucked them in a bit more.

North pulled out a snow globe, "To Burgess!" and he tossed the globe out in front of him transforming into a swirling portal. They jumped through the portal and sped out into Burgess. The sleigh raced through the sky coming up over the forest that hid the Nightmare kings' lair. As North started their decent to the ground she jumped up onto one of the edges of the sleigh.

"What are you doing!?" jack yelled.

"Trust me. It's best this way. North Pole" she smiled and threw a snow globe in the middle of the sleigh and jumped off. She heard their angry yells, and imagined Sandy's symbols, as she grabbed tree branches and swung down to the ground below.

"I couldn't live with myself if any of them got hurt because of me" she thought. She walked over to the old bed frame.

Ashley glared at the ground. "I swear with every fiber of my being I will stop you Neo, and I will save you Pitch. I just hope he's ok." She jumped into the abyss determined to save the black soul that was as stained as hers was, because no one deserves to go through the pain that comes with it.


	9. Love can hurt

Pain is funny. It can be so simple. It can be very complicated. It can shut people down. It can make them find their courage. The weak will ask what they did to deserve it. The strong will believe it was better that they received it rather than someone else. The weak will try to run away from it. The strong can overcome it. People believe that the most pain is in their past, and their right. But with this belief comes a choice. You can let it rule you, or you can let it bow to your power.

I get pain. I get that it hurts. I get that it can kill people, both the physical and emotional kind. I get that it fucking sucks. I get that we pray for it to pass us up, to spare us, to give us a break in-between the torment we suffer through.

I know pain. I know it hurts. I know people can die from it. I know that it is one of the forms of magic we have in this world. I know we can say bring it on, but only some do. I know that it is strived for. I know it's the price for love. I know it's what we go through for those we choose to trust with a part of our heart. Whether it's a prick of pain for loving a little or the searing agony of your heart being crushed for loving someone with your entire being, love comes with a price.

So why am I going to save him? Do I get a rush from pain? I know that down in this hole I'll be given plenty of pain. But why did I do it? Do I love Pitch? Did I give him some of my heart? And if so, how much? I'm the spirit of love; I'm an expert on it. I can see it in anyone, except me. I can't read myself. It sucks. I'm so confusing. It that my center? Confusion? No. love maybe? No, it would never be that simple. Pain? Loyalty? I honestly think I'll never figure out my center. I'm kinda glad. I hate the idea of one word dictating me. I'm a contradiction, and I think I'll keep it that way.

I'm emerging from the tunnel under the bed frame and into the lair. I'm afraid. Why? I'm not really sure. I suppose that's good, Pitch will sense it, but so will Neo.

I keep my footsteps light and continue to the center of the lair. I listen for any sound, anything to alert me, but there is nothing. You could bounce a coin off of my neck I'm so tensed up.

"I knew you couldn't resist me"

I whipped around at Neo's voice but I saw nothing. I felt air being sucked away from the back of my neck. I snapped around again and almost hit Neo's face with my own. I gave a startled yelp and jumped back a few feet. Neo straightened back up to his full height and fluttered his closed eye lids in pleasure.

"Your scent is absolutely intoxicating my darling" he purred. He opened his purple and scarlet eyes and stared at me expectantly.

"I am not your darling" I snarled.

"But", he leaned against a pillar and pointed his finger to the ceiling then at me, "you are back. It's so obvious you can't resist me" he smirked and I fought back a gag. "You can't lie to me I know you enjoyed our little moment that we had".

"Oh yea cause being tied up, put through massive amounts of pain, and absolutely violated without consent is just sooo enjoyable" I spat.

"Yes you are quite the naughty one aren't you?" he teased.

My cheeks filled with hot red blood. "Wha-what? No! I" I stuttered.

"Oh please save it, we'll get back to our fun later. But what I can't understand is why you put so much faith in that weakling." Wait what?

Neo read the confusion on my face "That Nightmare king…you barley know him and you have already taken so many leaps of faith that he won't leave or kill you." Neo started to circle me. "How can you trust him? You have already been betrayed so many times. No one could want that useless thing. I don't know why you would even consider wanting his company over mine." He leaned in closer "Don't tell me, you love him?"

"I-"I started. I didn't know the answers to the questions as much as Neo did. I tried to organize my thoughts but Neo interrupted me.

"Humph, maybe a look at your little nightmare king will help you realize your answer" he gestured to the part of the floor that just ended and overlooked a dark abyss below. He backed up and I warily walked to the edge and kneeled down. Just as I was about to say that I didn't see anything something glinted and caught my eye. It was a pool of water reflecting entirely black. My eyes followed a glassy black rock that sloped upwards in a tree root fashion and joined into a black pillar. I saw shades of grey in the middle of it but I couldn't quite make out an image. Then it all started to come together.

In the middle if the pillar hung Pitch Black, pinned by a knife through his heart.

My eyes widened and I stifled my gasp. He was covered in cuts and bruises. His arms hung limp at his side. It broke my heart to see the bruises on his neck and the cut that lined his cheek. He had the black hilt of a dagger sticking out of his chest. His eyes were closed and I couldn't detect breathing.

My bottom eyelid lined with tears, "no…" I breathed.

"Oh don't worry he is still alive". I didn't respond.

"Right now he is being tormented by the very nightmares he creates, and while he is in paralysis on the outside he is screaming in pain on the inside".

He is being tormented again. My mind flashed back to when I first met Pitch. He was so afraid "No!, No!, No!, No!, I can't be tortured like this again!" he had been through it all before "The nightmares, they're going to drag me back down. No, no it just can't happen again" he was so afraid to get dragged back down, for the nightmares to get him, to be, alone.

"I never get tired of the screams that I hear from him, it's so delightful. And to think it will never end" His tone was so happy.

Pitch received a never-ending nightmare, in exchange for my life.

Neo's tone turned annoyed "but it does get annoying when he screams out your name"

I cause him pain?

"But when that happens I just make him scream louder"

I ease out of my frozen state and re-focus on Pitch. He doesn-. His scream tears trough the cavern. "NO! ASHLEY! PLEASE!" Every part of me hurts.

"Ragh!" I hear Neo snarl behind me. I hear his hand thrust forward, and Pitch howls in agony. "Stop dreaming about her! She is mine!" I stare stunned as Pitch's scream ends and his head hangs to the side. I see another glint. Pitch has a tear pooling at the edge of his eyelid. My hands curl into fists and I slowly stand up.

"Ah, have you finally realized he is a lost cause?" Neo snickers.

"I made a promise"

"Oh?" Neo asked.

"I promised" I turned around to face Neo, "That I would not let Pitch suffer again". I my eyes were filled with tears and a fire that burned with determination and ferocity.

"Looks like you broke your promise" Neo smirked.

"I don't break promises"

**No POV**

Ashley launched herself towards Neo ready to connect her fist with his cheek, but Neo side swept it. He punched her in the stomach but before he could send her flying she landed a roundhouse kick to his face. They recovered and rushed each other again both with swords at their sides. They collided and fought to push each other back.

"You. Can't. Win" Neo challenged.

"Watch me" her leg swung to break his knee but he let one of his swords disappear and he grabbed her ankle. He twisted it and she yelled out in pain. He threw her against one of the sides of a stone bridge and she crushed it. Her hand flew up to the rock to hold on for life but the ledge she grasped crumbled and she fell. She flapped her one good wing but it only made her free fall spin out of control. Neo watched her plummet into the dark below. Neo let out a long victorious laugh, "ahahahaha-"his laughter was cut short by a ground-shaking roar that only a Pookan could rival.

Neo took a step back for the edge. I pink dragon rose into the air in front of him and slammed into Neo pinning him under its claws. It locked eyes with Neo and snarled, its' teeth only inches from his face.

"That is quite the trick my darling". The dragon snarled again. "I have a few tricks of my own" Neo grinned and black ravens shot out of the floor. The ravens clawed and bit at the dragon and she jumped away from Neo, and was engulfed in a twister of black. Neo smirked in victory.

"I'm gonna beat that cocky ass smirk out of you!"

(Not in dragon form anymore) Ashley slid out from under the twister and swept her legs around and pulled Neo to the ground. He growled and wrapped his hands around her throat and slammed her against a wall.

"You little brat!" he upper-cutted her in the gut and she coughed up blood. Her eyes were filled with fire. He brought his hand up to steal a drop of blood from her lip, and she clamped her teeth closed on his hand. He wailed out in pain and dropped her. Her feet landed on the ground and she launched her head up and smashed it into his jaw. He staggered back again and she landed punch after punch on his face. Neo stumbled backwards and Ashley jumped over him and flipped forward to collide a kick to the back of his head. Neo's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell forward, unconscious. She dropped to the ground on all fours panting. She paused staring at Neo then jumped up and ran over to the cliff.

She jumped onto a wall and dug two daggers into the wall. She pulled them from the wall and fell down until twenty feet from the small pool she dug them back in and kicked off the wall. She grimaced as the rocky floor of the pool gave her cuts on an entire side of her body. The pool looked a lot deeper than it was… Ashley got up and ran to Pitch; she wrapped her hand around the hilt of the dagger, and she ripped it out of his chest.

Nightmare sand engulfed then and Ashley was thrown back against a large rock. Nightmare sand was writhing and swirling everywhere coming from seemingly nowhere, and it pinned her against the rock creeping up her body to trap her. She heard maniac laughing.

Pitch shot up from where he was imprisoned nightmare sand acting as his own rising platform until he was high in the air. He threw his head back laughing with his arms high in the air, "hahahahaha, yes I'm finally free! And there is no one that can stand in my wa-". He was cut short by a panicked scream.

"Pitch!"

Pitch looked down towards the pool of water, Ashley was struggling against the Nightmare sand that was about to cover the rest of her face. Her eyes were filled with panic and fear, "Help" she screamed before she was engulfed completely. Pitch quickly disappeared into the shadows to reappear in front of the nightmare sand that trapped Ashley. Pitch snapped his fingers and the nightmare sand uncurled from around her and dispersed until it faded away in thin air. When the nightmare sand no longer bound her she fell forward into his chest. He grabbed her shoulders to steady her unconscious form.

"Ashley?" his voice was soft and quiet but filled with disbelief. She tensed up in his arms and she started coughing. He still held on to her while she coughed into her hand. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. She gave a small smile; it was filled with happiness and love. Pitch felt a lump rise I his throat. "No one should ever look at me like that" he thought.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question", she retorted and crossed her arms.

"Enough games Ashley! You need to get out of here. It's not safe"

"It's not any safer if I leave. And the last time I left you you ended up with a knife through your heart without any chance of escaping the nightmare that Neo imprisoned you in". She felt Pitch's grip on her shoulders tighten.

**Ashley's' POV**

I was causing him pain again. Those words I said hurt him, I didn't want to hurt him anymore.

"Fine. I'll leave. Neo's already knocked out anyway. I'll go, I don't want to cause you anymore pain." I turned around and started walking, but his hand grabbed my wrist. I looked over my shoulder at him.

"What do you mean cause me pain?"

I turned around fully, "you dreamed about me and you screamed out, no Ashley please in pain". Pitch's silver eyes widened. "I promise that I'll never hurt you, and I can't bear to cause you pain. All you had to say is that you wanted me to leave you and never come back, and you have, so I'll do as you say". I yanked against my wrist to leave but Pitch's grip only tightened.

"They" he started, "they were torturing you…" Pitch looked at the ground, sadness in his eyes. "They tortured and killed you so many times, and there was nothing I could do to stop them" he looked so sad and broken.

"Pitch, let go of my wrist". He looked back at me, I could see anger in his eyes but he let me go. I took a few steps forward and I wrapped my arms around him. He tried to back up out of the hug but I just buried my head in his chest. "That was stupid of you to take my place".

He snorted, "I can't count how many idiotic things you have done". I looked up and smiled at him. He was uncomfortable but not broken anymore.

"Would you let go of me!?" he snapped. I giggled and let go of him. Something wrapped around my neck and yanked me backwards.

Pitch's eyes narrowed and burned, "Neo" he snarled.

I was currently struggling against the smoke that was holding me up in the air as it constricted tighter.

"Sorry" Neo teased, "you are not permitted to touch her". Neo split predatory grin.

"Let her go", Pitch summoned his scythe.

Neo summoned a large mace and chain, "that's not very likely" Neo ran at Pitch and the two started their duel.

My vision was starting to get hazy; I needed to get out of this bind. I summoned my magic to coat my neck and I made it expand. Expanding my magic is how I shape shift. It expands and takes on the shape of the thing I want to turn into. The magic stretches until it makes the bind bigger that my head and I fall to the ground.

I looked up at the battle between Pitch and Neo. They couldn't land any hits on each other. Neo summoned a giant mallet and knocked Pitch back several feet. Neo changed his weapon back into a sword and advanced towards Pitch.

I got up on my knees and summoned my bow. It's my most powerful weapon; it can stun, kill, blind, and make soul mates fall in love. I pulled back the string of the bow and a pink arrow appeared in the bow. I looked down the arrow and aimed it at Neo's back. Then I let it fly. Neo whirled around and grabbed the arrow. He screamed out in pain as the magic around the neck of the bow absorbed into him and burned his hand. He immediately dropped the arrow and it fell on the ground, magic still imbued in its' point.

He lunged at me before I could get away and he yanked me up by a fist full of my hair. I grimaced in pain. He twisted it tighter making me yelp and tears come to my eyes.

"You disloyal little wench!" Neo ripped the bandages off of my injured wing. I screamed out in pain him ripping off my bandages pulled and yanked at the stitches on my stab wound.

"Oooh, what's this?" Neo pulled at one of the stitches showing. "Oh my, this will be sooo much fun!" Neo leaned down and licked my neck. I involuntarily shuttered and Neo smirked in pleasure.

We were blinded by pink light. I focused my vision. Pitch was standing with a nightmare sand bow and arrow. My arrow was loaded in his bow the magic at its' tip glowing brightly. Pitch smiled devilishly, every inch of him oozing malevolence "I agree". Neo looked up. "This will be fun". Pitch released the string and the arrow flew towards Neo, nightmare sand combining with Cupids magic to create a deadly combination. Neo's eyes filled with fear and he dropped me to run away. I used my own magic to wrap him up in pink restraints and stop him in his tracks. He snarled at me until the light from the arrow curbed his attention.

"Noooooooooooo" Neo howled as the arrow hit its' mark in Neo's chest. The arrow exploded in a shower of pink, white, and black light blinding us and bringing the one known as Neo to an end.


	10. I'll see you again

The harsh light was starting to dissipate. I was face down on the ground. The amount of power that the arrow released when it destroyed Neo knocked me to the ground and sent shockwaves through the cavern. I looked up. Everything was blurry. I forced my double vision to come together so I could see straight. I looked around for Pitch; he was passed out on the ground about ten feet away from me.

I gritted my teeth and tried to get up but a searing pain shot through my leg. I immediately fell back to the ground on my stomach. I looked back at my left leg and I saw blood oozing out of my ankle. It was red and slightly swollen, it was sprained.

"I must have hit it when I was knocked to the ground by the blast." I thought, "I must have been pumped up on so much adrenaline that I didn't feel it". I got back up on my elbows and half army crawled half drug myself over to Pitch. I sat up on one of my legs leaving the other stretched out across the ground.

I was next to Pitch's chest, "Pitch?" I poked his shoulder. He didn't stir. I shook his shoulder a lit bit, "Pitch?" he shifted his body a little. My face lit up slightly. "Pitch? Are you awake?", I poked his shoulder again.

"Did you just poke me?" the sound of his cool and enticing voice set me at ease. I closed my eyes and released a breath I didn't realize I had been holding, when I opened them back up Pitch was staring at me expectantly. I scrambled to find my voice and form a clear sentence, "I-I! S-sorry I was trying to see if you were ok!" I sat there blushing like mad because he wouldn't stop staring at me like a complex puzzle he was trying to solve.

"And you thought poking me was the best course of action?" he propped himself up on his elbows and waited for another answer. I swear I could just see the smirk that was behind his blank expression.

My eye twitched in anger, "would you have rather had me slap you? Cause I can still do that" I absentmindedly put my hands on my hips.

Pitch chuckled and stood up, "from kindness to threats in a matter of seconds. I can't decide which side I like better. But I guess it doesn't matter because you never stay the same for long"

I cocked my head to the side in confusion, "was he calling me bi-polar?" I thought. He stretched out his hand towards me. I just stared at it.

"Would you like help up? Pitch asked.

I snapped out of my frozen state, "Huh? What? Oh sure". I took his hand and he helped me up, but I seemed to forget that my ankle was sprained. So as soon as I put weight on it I fell to the ground, taking Pitch with me….

I don't see how this could be any worse.

Pitch was on top of me straddling me and staring down at me, a look of surprise and horror on his face. He was on his knees holding himself up with one hand next to my head while I had his other arm clutched against my chest.

My mind went blank, I couldn't move, I just stared at him while my cheeks started to turn pink. He smelled so good. And he was so close. I was afraid if I moved I would somehow make it worse, but during my slightly panicked thoughts I clutched Pitch's arm tighter to my chest, making my situation worse.

He grimaced, "could you please let go of my arm?" he looked away his cheeks taking on a darker color.

I was confused, was I hurting him? I looked down at my chest, his arm was wedged in-between my breasts. I suppressed a yelp and almost threw his arm back at him. He stood up and walked a few feet away from me with his back turned towards me. I rolled over on my side and sat up.

"Pitch I'm really sorry I forgot that my ankle was injured and when I went to put weight on it it didn't support me and I fell and I didn't let go of your arm and and I'm really sorry so please don't hate me".

His head snapped up and he turned and looked at me, "Hate you? Please. We just fell. It's perfectly fine now stop apologizing it's annoying".

I started laughing, "hahaha I honestly don't think I can ever stop that but I'll try". I smiled and he looked at me like I was insane, which I probably was.

"Do you think you could help me up again? I promise not to fall." Pitch scoffed and walked over to me and helped me up. I got my balance and hopped on my good leg over to a pillar and leaned against it.

"So how is your chest? You know from the knife?" I asked.

"It's nothing I can't handle" he looked off the side. He was still covered in bruises and cuts; I couldn't look away from the hand shaped ones around his neck. My mind flashed to a scene of Neo holding Pitch up by his neck, with a smirk that only promised more pain. I shuddered; it was still all my fault.

"What you did with my arrow was really clever; I don't know how many times I owe you one by now"

"I don't know how many times I owe you either but if you want to try and repay a debt you can start by telling me about that thing you sang".

"What?"

"That little number you sang in your cage. It hasn't left my mind for days and it's driving me insane".

"Oh that." I looked at the ground and smiled, "I heard that song on the radio the night my dad left. Whenever I feel alone and helpless, or I feel like I can't do something and it seems like giving up is the best option, I remember that song and it reminds me of everything that I had to overcome to get here, and of all the people I would prove right if I did give up."

"Ugh, that was so sweet I actually think I'm going to be sick" Pitch sneered.

I scoffed; "do I need to go before I give you a cavity?" my voice was dripping in sarcasm.

"Well Neo's gone so there's no real reason for you to stay"

Ouch, that hit me hard. I didn't expect him to almost flat out tell me to leave.

**Pitch's POV**

I don't know why she's still here. Well, she can't walk very well and it looks like she can't really fly either. But that doesn't mean she can't use her magic to go home.

"Uh, I guess" she answered.

"Alright then". I turned around and started to walk off.

"But"

I stopped and glanced over at her. She was staring at the ground with her hands behind her back. She looked very nervous, it was almost adorable.

"Would it be ok….if I….came back sometime?"

What! Why would she want to come back!? "Why?" I tried to hide to shock in my voice but I don't think I concealed it all.

She scrambled for an answer, "um, well. We could spar? I know you're really strong and I would love to spar with you sometime".

"Spar? Really?" she can't be serious.

"Yea…" I was waiting for her to say just kidding or something and I saw her get nervous and fidgety again.

"Also", she continued, "I get a bit lonely sometimes and if it's okay with you I really like your company." She paused then panicked, "unless you don't want me around then that's okay too". She held her hands up non-threateningly.

"Do what you will but only when you can walk and fly properly" I don't want to have to watch over her.

She smiled, "Ok! See ya later Pitch!" she was so happy, why? I had no idea. I saw her jump up and transform into a Wrym* and fly out of my lair.

I let out a sigh, "I really hope I didn't just seal my own demise…"

**Well that concludes this story but never fear! I will have a sequel on the way! Please read and review! Tell me what you liked or what you think I could work on.**

***Also if you didn't know a Wrym is pretty much a dragon with no legs and its' wings are its arms, or you could think of it as a serpent with wings as arms.**


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